posted 07-04-201206:27 AM
It has probably happened about 3 or 4 times over the past 5 or 6 months that I've found my vaginal discharge to be... well, I wouldn't have described it as cheesy, but it matches up with the google images of said description, so I guess so, and unpleasant in odour - not fishy, more just sort of generally pungent but still like a bodily fluid? (Though the most recent instance smelt a little bit vomit-y?)

I haven't suffered any abdominal pain, pain with intercourse, or pain with urination, or any unusual bleeding. There also isn't any connection between the events, as in, the most recent time comes about 3 days after being ejaculated inside of (whereas all my previous sexual encounters have been with a latex barrier), but the other occasions haven't, and none of the other occasions were after any genital to genital contact at all, and I've also recently started the oral contraceptive, but I wasn't on that the other occasions either.

Also, each occasion has only lasted one 'notice' - ie. I've gone to the loo or got undressed and found the offending discharge in my underwear, cleaned up in the bathroom, and it didn't appear the next time I got undressed/went to the loo etc.

It makes me feel squicky, but is this something I should see my doctor about, as I can't exactly get an accurate vaginal swab of this discharge if it goes after one notice and I need to make an appointment in advance?

Second question: Now that I'm sexually active and without any latex barriers, I know I should be getting regularly tested (my current partner has been since has last sexual partner), but I don't actually know how to go about this because as far as I know with the nhs the only way to get tested is if you're symptomatic and/or have risked an infection, and even then you won't get a full test, just the ones that are most likely? I don't know, I'm not really sure what's going on.
Posts: 160 | From: England | Registered: Apr 2011
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posted 07-05-201210:39 PM
Hi techie. Sometimes if unusual discharge shows up only for a short time, goes away, comes back again, over and over, it can be a sign that we have a very mild infection that just sometimes comes up a little stronger. It could also be an infection that is mild enough to go away without medical treatment but there is some reason you are getting it often.

Your best bet would be to consult your doctor. They can conduct tests that will be be able to detect an infection even if you don't have the discharge. And they will also have more accurate insight and input on this whole thing as they can run tests and know your medical history, etc Posts: 1311 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted 07-05-201211:35 PM
Hi techie, just for getting tested, and not necessarily for finding out about the discharge, usually, your best bet in the UK for STI testing is a GUM clinic. You don't have to have symptoms, you can simply go and ask to have full tests. You don't need a referral from a GP (like you do for most other specialist services). Your GP would likely point you to a GUM clinic if you asked about testing, and the good thing about GUM clinics in the UK is that your records from those are kept separately from the rest of your medical records.

There's also a search facility there to find clinics near you - it came out with the correct information for me when I checked it. You'll likely want a GUM clinic and not a CASH or family planning one, as those usually don't do full testing. You can also follow the link through to your specific clinic to see exactly what services it offers, when it's open, whether it's appointment-only or walk-in, whether it does sessions for specific groups of people. If you google the clinic, too, you're likely to find the page for it or the group of clinics from your local Hospital Trust (the administrative name of the medical facilities provided by the NHS in each local geographical area).

I wasn't a big fan of a reduced-service sexual health clinic I went to, but the full GUM clinic I've been to, I thought they were very good. The doctor was clearly surprised when I said I wanted testing just as a check, but did not dissuade me in any way, and was completely non-judgemental about all my information, including about orientation, casual sex and multiple partners. Doctor and nurses were happy to answer all questions I wanted to ask. Nurses did the actual testing, and were brilliant when I said I'd previously been assaulted and wasn't all that comfortable at the whole thing: the main nurse said ok, what do you need, are you definitely ok to do this, and when I said, can you explain everything to me first and ask me before you do anything, she was fine with that and did exactly that. She even told me I could do the put-a-little-stick-in-your-vagina-to-get-a-sample tests myself if I wanted to, but by that point I was comfortable enough with her and said she could do it, and also take a look to do the standard visual check that the cervix is healthy.

Just a heads-up - they do ask pretty comprehensive questions about one's sexual history! The one I wasn't prepared for was, "Have you ever had sex with anyone who wasn't British... please list the nationalities of all your partners, ever". ! Also, they did ask for the first names of the two most recent partners, but that isn't as alarming as it sounds, that's just so they have a way of easily referring to that person when they ask questions about it.

--------------------The kyriarchy usually assumes that I am the kind of woman of whom it would approve. I have a peculiar kind of fun showing it just how much I am not.Posts: 1786 | From: Europe | Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 07-06-201201:30 PM
Onionpie - thankyou for the information, I actually find it quite assuring that I don't have to head to the doctor's the -minute- I have an unusual discharge

Redskies - thankyou for so much in depth information! I've found a clinic near me that accepts walk ins for under 25s, so I'll be heading there this Wednesday. I'm glad to know they're so supportive and non-judgemental, at least in your experience And thanks for the warning about the comprehensiveness of the questions.

Question to whomever might be able to answer this - is having recent ejaculate inside me going to affect the testing? And by recent I mean between 1 and 5 days. I remember reading that that's the only thing that is actually indicative of recent sex that could be spotted by a gyno, and while I'm not exactly worried about being rumbled for being sexually active, I want to know that its not going to corrupt any results/observations/tests?
Posts: 160 | From: England | Registered: Apr 2011
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